Dear Editor,
Although it hasn’t gotten much attention, our roads and highways will get a lot more dangerous if Gov. Cuomo signs legislation (by Oct. 12) that would upend New York’s longstanding and successful driver safety program by allowing untested out-of-state internet companies to provide online-only training that replaces the in-classroom five-hour driver’s licensing requirement of first-time drivers.
My family-owned driving school has trained thousands of students since 1971 and I can tell you from first-hand experience that nothing can replace face-to-face interaction and real-life discussion with trained instructors. In the classroom, they learn how their reactions are affected by distractions like cell phones and how alcohol affects their reflexes. In fact, it’s very common in the classroom instruction for a person who has gotten a DWI to share their experience as a teaching-moment, which can be very emotional and impactful – that’s a lesson you simply can’t learn on the internet.
If this becomes law, New York would be rolling the dice on public safety and no technology is worth the price of putting lives at risk – the governor should veto this bill.
Jessica A Waldorf
Menands